Not all of us but a large number of people have been through a rather desperate situation where you try to wake up and it's like you can't.
This sensation is due to a phenomenon called sleep paralysis, which can be caused by several factors and has no date or time. The situation scares anyone who passes through it and can generate many myths due to its possible hallucinogenic effects.
Sleep
Our sleep works as a "turn off" of the body and its functions, in fact nothing stops working, it simply happens at another rhythm in the physical and active sense, but the mind is working normally.
During the hours we sleep, the body activates a mechanism known as REM atony. The acronym REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement, in Portuguese: the rapid movement of the eyes. It is used to designate the deepest phase of sleep when dreams are most “realistic”. The name is due to the real movement of the eyes in this period of sleep, in which the movement is accelerated and the mind works as if it were awake really living the dream.
REM atony works as a protection to this state, because when we are sleeping and dreaming vividly we can move and get hurt, therefore, the human brain paralyzes the body so that the action remains only in the mind.
A paralisia do sono
The bad feeling of “not being able to wake up” occurs when the mind wakes up from REM but the body remains in REM atony, that is, paralyzed. Thus, the individual is conscious, he can even mentally interact with what makes up the environment in which he was sleeping, whether things or people, but he cannot move.
The result of all this can be some kind of hallucination because the person thinks they are living a situation that is actually only happening in their head. Mental confusion contributes to the fact that reality mixes with dreams and makes the reports of those who have gone through it include “paranormal” phenomena.
Causes
It is not known for sure what is capable of generating sleep paralysis, however, studies indicate that we are all likely to experience it at least once in our lives.
Science even proposes that a lack of hormones like melatonin and tryptophan is a possible cause. Other factors that can influence this state to happen are excessive stress and the lack of a well-regulated sleep routine.
Treatment
Not being a frequent or even persistent problem, treating sleep paralysis relies on simple changes in habits. We must always take care that we have the least disturbed sleep possible and that it lasts at least 6 hours each day.
As stress and insomnia can also be the cause of the episode, try to lead a calmer and less anxious life. In cases of persistence of the symptoms of paralysis, a visit to the doctor will be necessary, who in some cases may indicate antidepressants or drugs that favor better sleep.
Text written by Julia Zayas from the Eu Sem Fronteiras team.
